Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre is delighted with the club’s recent upturn in fortunes, and believes the club have learnt lessons from the dark period under George Gillet and Tom Hicks, reports Sky Sports.
Ayre believes that current owners Fenway Sports Group have learned the importance of long term stability, and have brought into the values of the club during their spell in charge.
The Reds’ previous owners took the club towards the brink of administration, and it has taken John W. Henry and his team the best part of four years to get the club back on track.
And Ayre believes the club are starting to see rewards both on and off the pitch after such a testing period.
“It is great for our supporters because they went through a difficult time and it is always devastating to see such a great tradition and establishment as Liverpool being in such great difficulty,” he said.
“It taught us the importance of sustainability and running the club properly. No-one wants to go back to those dark days again.
“There was a lot to focus on: we had to improve the squad overall and that took investment at a time when we had little cash and a lot of debt.
“And it is testament to our new owners that they invested heavily and we started to improve the on-pitch side.
“It was also important to put in the pieces to take the business of the club forward, because in a world of Financial Fair Play and sustainability they are the things which generate the revenue to buy the players.
“It was a five-year plan and I am pleased to say it has been successful on all fronts, and the club has not been in such great health.
“It is pleasing to know we are on a great footing, have fantastic owners who believe in sustainability, believe in putting the club where it should be and treating it with the respect it should have.
“As long as we continue with those values we will be in good shape.”
